Saints QB Derek Carr Retiring From NFL

Carr released the following statement about his retirement, per Underhill: “Upon reflection, of prayer, and in discussion with Heather, I’ve decided to retire from the National Football League. For more than 11 years, we have been incredibly blessed, and we are forever grateful and humbled by this experience…It’s difficult to find the right words to express our thanks to all the teammates, coaches, management, ownership, team officials, and especially the fans who made this journey so special. Your unwavering support has meant the world to us.”

Underhill also notes that the injury Carr suffered was a torn labrum that had significant degenerative changes to his rotator cuff. Carr tried to rehab the injury and receive an injection. Still, he would not be able to return to full health without a shoulder procedure, with multiple evaluations showing he would need six months of recovery time that would land him on injured reserve for the 2025 season.

The Saints will also recover the money from Carr’s restructured deal and receive cap relief,  with Carr forgoing the $30 million he is guaranteed this season. However, the team will not regain the $10 million roster bonus and signing bonus he is due, per Ian Rapoport.

Going forward, the Saints will now choose between second-round draft pick QB Tyler Shough or the returning QB Spencer Rattler as their new starter for the upcoming season.

Carr, 34, is a former second-round pick of the Raiders back in 2014. He was in the final year of his contract when the Raiders signed him to a five-year, $125 million extension that included $70 million guaranteed in 2017.

Carr stood to make a base salary of $19.77 million in the final year of his contract and was set to be an unrestricted free agent in 2023 when he signed a three-year, $121.5 million extension. 

However, the Raiders released Carr the following season, and he signed a four-year, $150 million deal with the Saints. 

He was due a base salary of $40 million and $50 million in total in the final year of his contract in 2026. 

In 2024, Carr appeared in ten games for the Saints and completed 68.1 percent of his passes for 1,926 yards, 14 touchdowns, and four interceptions.

For his career, Carr appeared in 169 total games for the Raiders and Saints for a career record of 77-92. He completed 65.1 percent of his passes for 41,245 yards to go along with 257 touchdowns and 112 interceptions.

We’ll have more on Carr and the Saints as the news becomes available, and we wish Carr the best in his retirement from football.